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 The plan, being pushed by some conservative Republicans including
incoming House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, would provide a
short-term funding extension only for immigration agencies as a way
to exert leverage against President Barack Obama's immigration order
last week. Everything else would get normal full-year funding via an
"omnibus" spending bill, Republican aides said.
Congress needs to approve new spending authority for federal
agencies and discretionary programs by Dec. 11 to avoid another
government shutdown.
The plan aims to satisfy conflicting Republican priorities of
providing stable government funding and a desire to try to stop the
Obama administration from granting permission to some 4.7 million
undocumented immigrants to stay and work in the United States.
A short-term extension for immigration-related agencies would allow
Republicans to deny funds to these agencies next year when they
control both the Senate and House of Representatives. The primary
agency for processing immigrant residency applications, however, is
funded through fee collections.
Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, said that
Republican leaders have made no decisions on how to proceed with a
spending bill. Congress will take these decisions up when it returns
to Washington on Dec. 8.
Staff for the House and Senate Appropriations committees are
continuing negotiations on the full-year omnibus spending bill for
all agencies, aiming for a House vote the week of Dec. 8, House
Appropriations Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Hing said.
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House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats would not
support any bill that provides long-term funding to some agencies
and short-term "continuing resolution," or CR, for others. The
concoction has taken on the "CRomnibus" moniker.
"House Republicans are seeking to disguise their efforts,
threatening our national security in order to undermine the
president’s clear legal authority," Pelosi said in a statement
issued on Tuesday. "We will not be enablers to a Republican
government shutdown, partial or otherwise."
A Senate Democratic aide said that Senate appropriators are not
discussing any such move, adding: "As far as we're concerned, this
is not on the table."
(Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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